I want to design a site using a flexible template for the overall structure, including navigation and would prefer to do all the navigation with php. There is no database involved. The site has four main sections plus the home page - the sections have sub-sections and three of them connect into one-another. How can I use php to go deeper than the first level?
If it helps, the site's home page is about my small entertainments agency and events management business. The sections are clients (which will include bandleaders' various band projects plus fanzines), tours (which is about four (only three the same as before) client bands' planned UK tours), a jazz festival "fringe" I've been "hired" (in this business it's all voluntary!) to organise which includes four client bands and two non-client bands and a contact section which will include various other bits like legal statements and terms of business.
I've found something which does a great job for the first level, but it took me a while to work it out as I'm new to php (or any programming, for that matter). How do I take it deeper, or is there something which handles that and I could use instead?
Site management using a template
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jazzclubber
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- Location: West Yorkshire
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jazzclubber
- Forum Newbie
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- Joined: Sun Aug 18, 2002 5:39 pm
- Location: West Yorkshire
It's about navigation
The template engines (and most of the templates) are too complex both for what I need and for me to understand. I need to find a programming principles tutorial because all I'm doing so far is following instructions without really understanding what's going on. I've put the html template framework together but I need a navigation system that works so that:
Visitor enters site at 'Home' (index.php) and is intersested in, say, who the agency represents, clicks on 'Clients' button, sees list on that page, with a brief note and a link to relevant page. Likes the look of 'Jazz Singer', clicks button - same level as clients overview but will the 'Clients' button remain in its 'on' state?
Taking 'Clients' as a section, the visitor will have gone from index.php to the opening page in the 'Clients' folder, lets say 'clients_overview.php', and on that page is listed Sax-led Jazz band, Vocal-led Jazz band, Comedian, Quizmaster and any more clients. There will be a row of navigation buttons at the top which will take the visitor to the home page or to the opening page for each section.
So, the idea is to let the visitor go to their 'choice' section and, so long as they are in that section, that would show by the relevant button in its 'on' state, rather than only when they're viewing the section overview page. I've found a script which achieves what I want it to so far as viewing the clients_overview.php. I don't know what will happen when they move within the section and I have one bandleader with three bands, so there will be at least one level deeper to go.
Although not 100% confident, I think I can work out the rest of the template I need, but the navigation is a headache.
Many thanks for your interest. I hope I've said what I meant to say!
Visitor enters site at 'Home' (index.php) and is intersested in, say, who the agency represents, clicks on 'Clients' button, sees list on that page, with a brief note and a link to relevant page. Likes the look of 'Jazz Singer', clicks button - same level as clients overview but will the 'Clients' button remain in its 'on' state?
Taking 'Clients' as a section, the visitor will have gone from index.php to the opening page in the 'Clients' folder, lets say 'clients_overview.php', and on that page is listed Sax-led Jazz band, Vocal-led Jazz band, Comedian, Quizmaster and any more clients. There will be a row of navigation buttons at the top which will take the visitor to the home page or to the opening page for each section.
So, the idea is to let the visitor go to their 'choice' section and, so long as they are in that section, that would show by the relevant button in its 'on' state, rather than only when they're viewing the section overview page. I've found a script which achieves what I want it to so far as viewing the clients_overview.php. I don't know what will happen when they move within the section and I have one bandleader with three bands, so there will be at least one level deeper to go.
Although not 100% confident, I think I can work out the rest of the template I need, but the navigation is a headache.
Many thanks for your interest. I hope I've said what I meant to say!
What you've described is a function of HTML, I suggest you start learning that. All user interaction takes place with HTML, because that is what the browser interperets. PHP is a language for generating HTML dynamically - this is where templates come in. What it sounds like you want is a good book on HTML to explain those sorts of things that you're describing.
Peace
llimllib
Peace
llimllib
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jazzclubber
- Forum Newbie
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- Joined: Sun Aug 18, 2002 5:39 pm
- Location: West Yorkshire
Thanks, llimllib, I think I've got it. The template using php is needed because the site's structure could change quite radically from time to time, but at the level of the subject groupings and below, that will be less radical. Hence I can handle that with html, which I'm already conversant with (I've got *two* good, well-thumbed books on it).